Dear parents

This week’s heavy rains inevitably reminded me of life back in England, a country prone to all-too-regular downpours of the kind we experienced over the weekend. Unpredictable weather is a cornerstone of conversational etiquette in Britain, and even the man in whose honour our sister school was founded, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, is not immune. The Wellington boot, the ubiquitous waterproof footwear so beloved in the UK, was popularised by the Great Duke and now forms a staple part of any outdoor clothing.

Of course, the culture of a nation consists of more than just an obsession with umbrellas and dry feet. Britain has a rich cultural heritage that goes far deeper than complaints about the weather. Culture, language and history are profound elements of any nation, and they should form part of any school curriculum. As an international school, we celebrate these proud aspects of all our nationalities. We have over 30 different ones represented in the school, but as a community of learners, we come together most often to celebrate the heritage and culture of China, our host country. Next week sees the first of our annual landmark celebrations, with events marking the Mid-Autumn festival.

Pupils from across the school will be immersed in the language, mythology, costumes and stories surrounding this ancient festival. The aim is more than simply to highlight a key event in the lunar calendar. By retelling these legends, children can learn about the stories from their own cultures, too; the Moon Festival is not a uniquely Chinese event, and it has deep resonance across Asia. In this way, by revisiting the story of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess, for example, pupils can begin to understand more about the importance of their own heritage and how such legends have a resonance and relevance to this day. The tradition of coming together in families and giving thanks is both a profoundly important part of Chinese culture and a global phenomenon. In this way, and through such practices as those surrounding the Mid-Autumn festival, people and cultures from across the world can learn more about one another, inevitably strengthening the bonds of mutual respect and understanding that link humanity.

I was, of course, unfairly flippant about the conversational monopoly that the weather has on British culture, but it is nevertheless a deeply rooted part of the national psyche. That should not be a surprise. Our ancestors’ lives were often at the mercy of the elements and the caprice of nature. Every ancient culture marked the harvest as a crucial time of any year, as good harvests were bountiful, whilst dearth almost invariably had devastating consequences for their communities. Stories that offer hope and tales of abundance, of family renewal and rebirth with the new moon, thus became central to people's traditions around the world. In this way, by learning more deeply about the culture and practices of one nation, we also learn a great deal more about ourselves.

Julian Jeffrey
EXECUTIVE MASTER

As we move on to the last week before the Golden Week holiday the children will be taking part in lots of cultural activities organised by the school's Mandarin department and our Chinese teachers. They will be making snowy moon cakes with the catering team from Compass too.

As a bilingual nursery, we not only focus on the native Chinese spoken language but also ensure the children have time to focus on Chinese culture. It is essential that all the children develop a sense of identity linked to the location of their school and for the majority of our children their own cultural heritage. Developing a sense of identity is part of our understanding of the world aspect of the curriculum. The section that covers people and communities encourages each child to talk about their family and the traditions they follow. This is how we support children to understand similarities and differences in our families. Children begin to see that a difference that they see between their family and a friend's family doesn’t mean they cannot be friends- it is one of the ways we teach children to understand and accept difference and see that the world is filled with similarities and differences. We want every Wellingtonian to move through life with empathy and understanding for those around them.

We are an inclusive school with a wide range of languages and cultural diversity. Discussing things with our children helps them to accept that the world around them has a lot to offer and it is exciting to be a part of this learning journey.

We encourage you to talk to your children about family traditions and for them to know more about their family members. Children are always very proud to share things they know about their families.

As a parent, you are the primary educator of your child. As teachers, we want to work with you to develop every aspect of your child's education. It is so important that school and family work together to make learning opportunities consistent and fun. Learning is a lifelong endeavour, we are all learning all the time. The children in the Nest are in the early stages of acquiring new knowledge and skills. By working together to support children, we develop well-rounded children who have a love of learning and an excitement about the world around them.

Next week will see our children have an opportunity to wear traditional clothing that represents their culture. This is something I always look forward to. The staff and children always look incredible and have a sense of pride in their special clothes.

It will be a busy four days before the holiday and I’m sure the children will have lots to tell you about the things they do in school.

Thank you for your continued support.

Duke of Wellington Room (MB109)
1400hrs-1500hrs, Thursday
30th September

This week's Meet the Master and Bursar slot is open to parents of pupils from the Nest to the Senior School. If you would like to attend, please confirm via e-mail with Ms Emma Shi by Wednesday, 29th September.

(emma.shi@wellingtoncollege.cn)

How to set up a Family Agreement for Using the Internet

In my last article I presented five principles to help support you in managing your child’s screen time and device usage. One important factor I mentioned was the need to get ‘buy in’ from your child around the expectations and consequences of their (and your) online behaviour. I suggested investing time in making a family agreement and furthermore, that for it to work, all members of the family need to be involved in the construction of the agreement. Making a family agreement is a wonderful process that will support you in open, meaningful and impactful conversations and lead to a real sense of family ownership around the very important issue of internet safety. Underpinned by your child having a real voice in their internet usage (and yours) and based on your own family values, I highly recommend that you read this week’s article: “How to set up a Family Agreement”

Chinese Culture Week: Mid-Autumn Festival
27th-30th September

To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Mandarin Department has organized a Chinese culture week from 27th-30th September. A variety of Chinese cultural activities will be held during this week.

Further details are available from the poster below.

Nest
1400hrs, Wednesday
29th September

This parent briefing will focus on what we mean by ‘growth mindset’ and how we use it to support our children to be independent learners who develop positive dispositions and attitudes towards their learning. We will explore the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset and the language we use with children to keep them on the growth mindset track.

Due to the Traditional Dress Parade being held on the same day, we are going to start the briefing at 1400hrs. This will mean parents of children in reception or year one can attend the parade at 1510hrs.

If you would like to attend, we have a limit of 20 adults we can allow to attend in line with the Education Bureau regulations. If you would like to attend, please email Ms Tina Zhang or call to reserve a place on 022-87587199 EXTN 6019. The briefing will be recorded and a link will be shared via Tchat.

Tina.Zhang@wellingtoncollege.cn